A masterful study of one of Paul's most complex, interesting, and uplifting letters.

Paul's Epistle to the church at Philippi has long stood out as his most joyful letter. It is addressed to his favorite congregation, the converts who were his most devoted followers. At a time when Paul lacked the support of most of the other churches he founded, the Christians at Philippi sent him financial gifts and even an apostle of their own, Epaphroditus, to aid him in his mission and comfort him during his imprisonment. In appreciation, Paul offered them praise and support, encouraging them to pursue a creative theology (in 2: 6) and to seek greater maturity in their faith in the face of considerable civic opposition and threats from Hellenistic ideologies.

For centuries, Philippians was thought to be a single letter written by Paul when he was imprisoned in Rome. In recent years, however, John Reumann and other scholars have come to the consensus that it is actually three separate letters, two of which were written from a prison in Ephesus. Reumann discusses in the introduction why he reached this conclusion, going on to provide a translation and commentary that will stand as the definitive study of this important Epistle for decades to come.